Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1887-09-04
REMARKABLE SUCCESS
Of DR.. SlOCum SO Sixteenth Street. Whssling-An
Operation Saves a Mans Lfs--An
Interesting Case.

Th.re Is man living In Bellalre VINO
NAV be said to have been literally snatched
from the grave. For two monthe he
suffered the most intense pains, and at last
the torture he endured became so violent
and agoniziDg that he was in danger Of
losing his mind. He could scarcely eat,
and it was only by administering heavy
opiates that he was able to secure sleep,
and then but Tor short periods. He became
greatly emaciated, and all hope was given
up both by himself and his distressed fam
ily. But at last relief was found and TO-
day the man is enjoying the best health he
has ever known and is rapidly recovering
his lost flesh, while the family that only a
short time since was sorrowing over what
seemed to be the awful death of its head,
is now happy over his restoration to health
and themselves. The mans name is Carl
Lauck; he can be found at Bellaire and will
not only verify the facts as outlined above,
but those that are to follow.
To the skill of Wheeling's eminent aurist
and oculist, DR.. S. NJ. Slocum, Of No. SO
Sixteenth street, is ascribable the wonder
full rescue of Mr.. Lauck from what was sure
to result in death He performed very
unusual and very delicate operation at o
critical time in signally successful manner.
The operation consisted of trepanning the
skull-drilling hole through it, in order
to get at the seat of the trouble. The cir
cumstances that lead up to this being done
.aress follows:
Previous to January last Mr.. Lauck
worked for two years in the Bellaire Win
bow Glass Works. Becoming infatuated
with the stories in circulation about Find
lays gas boom, and being a young man -
twenty-eight years old-and anxious to
better himself and family as far as pos
sible, he with Others went to that
place and commenced work in glass
house there. He had been there but q
short time when he contracted violent
cold which resulted in an Inflammation Of
the right ear, accompanied by copious dis
charges. He was treated by two or three
physicians, but with no success, as the
trouble continued to grow worse and
worse and the pains he suffered were OF
the most intense character. The infamma-
ton continued until the bOny wall OF the
external ear had been destroyed, together
with the soft part, and the pus, or matter,
was thereby allowed to filter through into
the mastoid cells contained in the lump
back Of the ear; that part of the skull is Of
a cellular nature There then formed in
these mastoid cells an abcess which pro-
duced sympathetic action Of the softer
parts, resulting in q very bad swelling that
extended from the top of the head to the
shoulder; about the ear the swelling was
awful, nearly all semblance of form being
lost, In addition 20 the pain the man
became almost totally deaf.
The Findlay physicians at last either
gave the case up or became frightened, and
advised the man to get to hospital as soon
as possible. 1t was certain that something
would have to be done, aud that soon, for
the man was in an awful condition. About
this time Mr.. Lauek heard Of Dr. Slocum,
and on April he visited him for the first
timeI He was then reduced to almost a
skeleton, and as described above, his con-
dition was truly pitiable. In fact words
are inadequate, to use bis own expression,
to describe the suffering and agony that he
endured. DR.. Slocum at once went TO
work to reduce the Inflammation, and par
tally succeeded, but at the outset be told
him that an operation would be
necessary, and about two weeks later it
was performed. A hole was drilled into
the skull about one and one-half inches
back of the ear. AS soon as the instrument
passed through the outer plate into the
cellular substance the matter gushed out
and pressure on the head forced out the stuff
that had worked its way up between the
scalp and skull. Antiseptic dressings were
applied after the place had been carefully
cleaned, and since then it has been attend
ed to daily, until now the hole has nicely
closed and the man is cured. He has al
ready regained several pounds of his lost
flesh, he once more hears perfectly, enjoys
his meals and sleeps undisturbed.
Had he been allowed to go without
proper and intelligent treatment the alb
cess would have eaten its way through the
thin bony partition between the mastoid
cells and the brain, and death would have
at once followed. The operation, as can
readily be imaginedwas one requiring the
greatest skill, and naturally DIR. Slocum
feels as proud of it as Mr.. Lauck feels
grateful and relieved. II was a notable
case among the hundreds this leading and
popular physician has had; il was also one
seldom performed and always attended
with uncertainty. In this case the snc-
cess was unqualified. DR.. Sadler, we'll
known oculist OF Pittsburg, came down to
witness and assist in the operation.